BELL, Calif. (January 24, 2013) Two years after its municipal pay controversy forever changed the way citizens across the country scrutinize local government finances, the City of Bell, Calif. has unveiled a new city website that makes city legislative activity and financial data easy to find and accessible to all citizens.

The new website http://www.cityofbell.org, designed in collaboration with Vision Internet, a national leader in government website development, and launched on December 24, 2012, was officially unveiled in a presentation to City leaders and local citizens at the January 16th open meeting of the Bell City Council.

“The City of Bell City Council’s desire for open government and greater information transparency had a great influence on the design and features of the Bell website,” said Steve Chapin, Vision Internet president. “Inspired by Bell’s commitment to good government reform and its dramatic turnaround, our government website design experts worked hand-in-hand with the City’s website team to create a website that serves up detailed data about how City government works and how taxpayer dollars are spent.”

Guided by the “10-point Transparency Checklist” created by the Sunshine Review, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about proactive disclosure; Institute For Local Government guidelines; and State of California transparency laws; the new Bell website features a “Transparency” tab on the main navigation toolbar, which is dedicated to presenting citizens with easy-to-find detailed financial information and other public documents.

“The new City of Bell website is an important tool in our effort to move the City forward and enhance transparency to City Hall functions,” said Bell Mayor Ali Saleh. “We have brought City Hall to residents’ front doors providing detailed information about local government and its services – information that can be conveniently accessed 24/7. By creating a new space in the virtual Bell neighborhood we’ve also relieved long lines at public counters while enabling residents to easily find recreation classes for their children, download City applications and forms, and submit public records requests directly to the City Clerk. This new website isn’t just a stark contrast to the past; it’s a complete 360 degree turn that clearly demonstrates our continued commitment to transparency.”

Bell citizens now can easily find and review the annual city budget, financial statements, investments, salaries of all public officials and employees, and even the city’s electronic checkbook. Other options under “Transparency” include Bell City Council policies, details on taxes, zoning and building permits, and Statements of Economic Interest by city officials with decision-making authority.

As a result, Bell is being called a model in the ‘quiet revolution’ in local government. “Local budget crises, the growing number of online social and mobile platforms, and the public’s expectation of 24/7 access are changing the relationship between local government and its citizens,” Chapin said. “Transparency is the key that can open the door to community problem solving. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the City of Bell’s new approach, where the dedication of newly–elected public officials, administrators and City employees have resulted in this innovative community portal.”

An important feature of the new website is the incorporation of Google Translator to accommodate the needs of Bell residents who prefer to receive information in their native languages, including Spanish and Arabic.

For those members of the community who do not have internet or computer access, the City continues to provide free public access computers at all City facilities including parks, the Bell Community Center and the Bell Technology Center, where residents can surf the Web and explore the new City of Bell website.

“The age of government transparency is still in the early stages as the momentum shifts from ‘Should we do it?’ to ‘How do we make government data easily accessible to those who need it?’” Chapin said. “The City of Bell is a model of civic renewal and we are proud to have played a part in the journey.”

For more information about Vision Internet’s transformative government website technology, please call 888-263-8847 or visit http://www.visioninternet.com/freedemo.

About Vision Internet

Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., Vision Internet is the national leader in government website development with nearly 500 government, non-profit and education clients across the U.S. and Canada. Over the past 17 years, Vision Internet has created industry-defining websites for communities ranging in populations of less than 1,000 residents to more than 5 million. The company has earned hundreds of prestigious industry awards for its unique websites, and recently launched its latest content management system visionCMS™, a powerful, easy to use tool developed with feedback from hundreds of municipal clients. For more information visit http://www.visioninternet.com

City Scene Episode 110610 Segment 1, Leisure Services /Nevada Public Computer Centers — Deputy Director of Leisure Services Lonny Zimmerman and Urban League Computer Trainer Christina Clark explain an ARRA-funded partnership to make computers available and help citizens find jobs. Information about locations, services, classes and personal job search assistance is shared along with a heartwarming success story and valuable contact numbers. Thismagazine-style program goes behind the scenes of your city government at work, interviewing city department representatives about city services, how they are offered and their benefits to citizens. New episodes of Las Vegas City Scene begin airing at 5 pm on the first Saturday of each month. Producer Shari Singer Editor Steve S HorlockVideo Rating: 5 / 5

Become a fan of My Computer Works on Facebook! www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter! twitter.com Check out our MCW Blog! blog.mycomputerworks.com Send your training ideas to training@mycomputerworks.com or post them in the Comments section below! Sign up for My Computer Works! 1-800-990-4629 MyCompWorks Music by Kevin MacLeod

Computer Maintenance Services in Australia Industry Market Research Report Now Updated by IBISWorld

IBISWorld Market Research

Melbourne, Australia (PRWEB) December 06, 2012

Few people in Australia are comfortable repairing their own computer. Consumers continue to view internal operations of computers as complicated, although this has not translated to booming demand for the Computer Maintenance Services industry in Australia. Businesses today have made two clear shifts in operations that spell trouble for the long-term viability of computer maintenance providers. According to IBISWorld industry analyst Craig Shulman, “the tendency to lease computers rather than buy them often means that computers are replaced when, or before, they malfunction”. Furthermore, the increasing presence of comprehensive, in-house IT teams means that many repairs can be conducted at minimal cost. An influx of IT specialists occurred in the late 1990s due to the dot-com crash. Subsequent consolidation of the IT industry has meant abnormal growth in the number of firms offering maintenance services as many operatives established their own repair companies after being retrenched from a downsizing industry.

As a result, the Computer Maintenance Services industry in Australia is facing an uncertain future, especially after a difficult past five years. During the five years through 2012-13, industry revenue has contracted at an annualised rate of 0.2%. In 2012-13, industry revenue is forecast to increase by 1.3% to $ 1.8 billion. “The rapid pace of technological advancements, the growing need for faster processing speeds and the falling price of consumer electronics mean that replacing a faulty machine is often more economical than repairing it”, adds Shulman. In the aftermath of Australia’s economic downturn, companies are resorting to maintain servers and other peripheral equipment, and households are also following suit with their personal computers.

Today, while the IT industry at large has recovered, the need for repairs is falling and appears set to continue a downward trajectory. Industry revenue is forecast to decline in the five years through 2017-18, as private households become increasingly willing to lease computers, and as the price of consumer electronics continues to drop, resulting in decreased demand for repairs. The largest four operators are Hewlett-Packard Australia, IBM A/NZ, UXC and Symantec Australia, and account for the majority of industry revenue. IBISWorld expects that over the past decade, market share concentration has declined as the number of suppliers of computer equipment increased, and larger computer vendors outsourced some maintenance functions. The industry is becoming increasingly fragmented, as smaller firms specialise in skills that are in higher demand.

Competitors in this industry provide computer maintenance and repair services, including the repair of computer peripheral equipment such as servers. Repairs also include diagnostic efforts on poorly designed or installed software and hardware.

Industry Performance

Executive Summary

Key External Drivers

Current Performance

Industry Outlook

Industry Life Cycle

Products & Markets

Supply Chain

Products & Services

Major Markets

International Trade

Business Locations

Competitive Landscape

Market Share Concentration

Key Success Factors

Cost Structure Benchmarks

Basis of Competition

Barriers to Entry

Industry Globalisation

Major Companies

Operating Conditions

Capital Intensity

Technology & Systems

Revenue Volatility

Regulation & Policy

Industry Assistance

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Annual Change

Key Ratios

About IBISWorld Inc.

Recognised as the nation’s most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every Australian industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Melbourne, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organisations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com.au or call (03) 9655 3886.

From late October through early December, the Pittsburgh graphic and web design firm, Yellow Bridge Interactive, held a contest for who could write the most imaginative and insightful blog post about what direction web design would take next. The web design contest aimed to engage the local design community in a fun and friendly competition. With respect to the past rapid development of the Internet with all its improved style and functionality, Yellow Bridge was curious what users thought would happen over the next decade.

The two winners were awarded prizes for their excellent entries. Andrew Mortimer, taking first place, won a Kindle Fire HD. Sadie Stresky, taking second, was awarded a $ 100 Amazon gift card. Yellow Bridge congratulates and thanks all participants who took the time to publish and submit their thoughts on what the Internet would hold in the future.

In “A Picture of Web Design 10 Years from Now,” Andrew Mortimer predicts in his post that, as has already been trending, the Internet will continue to develop in a way that reflects the users themselves. Just as we create Internet avatars for us now, we will continue developing our online selves, and the Internet will grow to accommodate this even more. With each new generation, the Internet becomes accessible to more people as more grow up with these technologies. The increased popularization will expand the use of the Internet, and the Internet will become more available, more intuitive, and favor the user more and more.

In “Web Design and the Internet, 10 Years from Now,” Sadie Stresky envisions a future where technology has advanced to the point of total cloud integration. Today, we tend to integrate computer-related devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, and MP3 players. In the future, however, this scope will be far more encompassing, including household appliances like washing machines and vacuum cleaners. The appliances and devices in a home will be programmed to communicate with each other to “create a seamless user experience.”

Yellow Bridge Interactive is a web design firm in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. The company works with businesses to design and redesign websites, set up blogs, design logos, and provide SEO-friendly website consulting. YBI periodically hosts contests and polls to engage members of Pittsburgh’s growing web design community.

Asus is an internationally recognized company manufacturing a variety of computer devices and accessories. The company also designs and manufactures tablet computers. Retailers offer special prices and discounts for products including Asus with its range of tablets.

Asus tablets with black friday, cyber monday, and christmas deals are already available at hottydeals.com/asus-tablets.

One of the most popular Asus products offered with black friday deals is the Asus TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-inch tablet. Here are some of its features:

Asus tablets are good christmas gift for people that continuously need quality portable computing.

Here’s a list of some ASUS tablets for black friday, cyber monday, and christmas:

1. Transformer TF700T

This is a sleek Android tablet featuring quad-core processor and Full HD screen resolution. It runs on Android 4.0 operating system, equipped with 1gm DDR3 Ram, and has a docking station with QWERTY keyboard that is optional.

2. Transformer TF300T

This is a GPS-enabled Android tablet with a maximum battery life up to 15 hours for continuous use. Other features include 10.1-inch WXGA multi-touch screen (1280 x 800p), quad-core processor, 32gb hard drive, 8MP rear camera, HDMI port, and more.

3. Transformer TF300T Gold Edition

This tablet is simply another version of the previously mentioned model. The only major difference is the hard drive capacity, which is 16gb.

Black friday, cyber monday, and christmas deals offer special prices and discounts for Asus tablets. On such big shopping days, other items are also available at lower prices. For further information about tablets and holiday deals visit http://hottydeals.com/asus-tablets.

Hiring new employees is a daunting task, especially when a workforce is based overseas. The new ‘Done for You’ service offered by OnlineJobs.ph eliminates the tedious correspondence and time demands of recruiting. They provide an indispensable resource for outsourcing employers (and anyone who entertains the idea of outsourcing to the Philippines).

“Our ‘Done for You’ service provides a qualified and competent employee match for your business. We’ve developed this system to propel entrepreneurs into a successful outsourcing experience. Hiring Filipinos has never been easier, and it comes with a money-back guarantee,” says John Jonas, creator of OnlineJobs.ph.

The new service eliminates the stress of:

o Sorting through thousands of resumes

o Determining whether applicants are qualified

o Working out time requirements

o Settling salary demands

o Arranging internet and computer services

It’s a simple process. First, OnlineJobs.ph reviews the employer’s list of job requirements. Next, they select several qualified applicants from 45,000+ resumes, based on the employer’s needs. Then they administer tests to each of the applicants to find the most proficient candidate. Finally, they work out salary and time requirements with most qualified applicant and send the information to the employer.

And while the ultimate goal of the service is to successfully match employers with ideal employee, OnlineJobs.ph guarantees money back if the employer is not satisfied.

“[OnlineJobs.ph’s] pre-found employees in the Philippines are the best. I tried before to hire internationally on my own and had poor results…Thank you so much, John Jonas and team, for putting together this invaluable resource,” says David Crenshaw, successful outsourcer through OnlineJobs.ph.

With over 45,000 Filipino resumes, OnlineJobs.com is the largest online marketplace for finding and hiring Filipino employees. Their expertise and ‘Done for You’ recruiting set employers up for successful outsourcing to the Philippines.

About the Company

OnlineJobs.ph was created by John Jonas, CEO of ReplaceMyself.com and avid outsourcing entrepreneur. Since 2007, John has used innovative methods to teach business owners how to increase efficiency and decrease cost by delegating labor to the Philippines. Hand in hand with Replacemyself.com, OnlineJobs.ph offers entrepreneurs the tools to successfully hire, train and manage Filipino virtual assistants.